Ralph Graves: Too Blessed to be Stressed
Rev. Ralph Graves Jr.
By Pastor Ralph Graves | Cornerstone Community Church
MILLVILLE — Psalm 37: Did you know that the Bible actually commands us not to fret?
But we do, don’t we? When the stock market goes down, or our blood pressure goes up. Some fret because they fear they don’t know enough; others, because they know too much. The poor fret because they don;t have money, the rich because they are afraid to lose what they have.
The elderly fret because they’re facing death, the young because they’re facing an unsure future. And yet God says not to fret.
Jesus warned that we gain nothing by worrying. In Matthew 6:27, he asked the question: “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”
The best thing you can say about worry is that is useless. But, it can also be harmful. Worry will do the same thing to you that sand will do to machinery. It’ll take the blue out of your sky. It’ll take all the joy out of your heart. Few forms of dissipation are as debilitating as worry.
Perhaps the most tragic of all is how insulting worry is to God. Worry is a way of saying, “God, you’re not able to provide for me.” But God, through King David, gave us Psalm 37 to reassure us of his care. He gave us not only a command but also a recipe of how we can be free from fretting: We can trust the Lord when resources vanish.
In this Psalm, David observed that he had never seen the righteous big for bread. Those who trust in God will dwell in the land and be fed.
According to this Psalm, we can delight in the Lord when dreams dissolve. If you take the joy of the Lord, your desires will be met. There’s only one source of joy that can’t be threatened, and that’s the Lord. Activist and writer Corrie ten Boom said, “look around and you’ll be distressed. Look within, you’ll be depressed. Look to the Lord you’ll be at rest.”
And finally the Psalm teaches that we can commit our way to the Lord when our lifestyle is threatened. Do you know what the word “way” means in the Bible? It means your lifestyle, the way you’re used to living. You can give your way to God. You can roll your worries on to him.
And even if your standard of living may change, your standard of life will not. Find Your delight and your rest in God and fret not!
Anger, rage and losing your temper seem to be the norm in our culture. However normal they may seem they are destructive emotions. They reveal the lack of faith that God is Love and is still in control.
We should not worry; instead, we should trust in God, giving ourselves to him for his use and safekeeping. When you dwell on your problems you’ll become anxious and angry. But if you concentrate on God and his goodness, you will find peace.
And then you’ll be able to proclaim with confidence, “I’m too blessed to be stressed.”
Ralph Graves Jr.
Cornerstone Community Church in Millville: Visit today, Services Sunday at 10:30 a.m. EST. Click HERE for more information.
Become “Unstoppable.” Check out the latest books and podcasts from Rev. Ralph Graves. Click HERE for more information.
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